


Lab Partners

by v0ltaire



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Android Spock, Fluff, M/M, alternate future/past wtf is time, this is not how uni works probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 12:27:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20948315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v0ltaire/pseuds/v0ltaire
Summary: "You would make a splendid computer, Mr Spock."Captain James T. Kirk, in Return of the Archons (TOS Se01Ep21)And naturally I had to write a fluff piece of an Android!Spock AU.





	Lab Partners

**Author's Note:**

> completely AU, first time writing K/S, sorry in advance 
> 
> this story is meh

Spock is the most current model of Acedemoid available. He was gifted to the university as a companion, a lab partner, a calculator, and just about any other useful thing within higher education that undergrads could imagine. 

Dr Leonard McCoy, teaching a basic Bio 110 course this semester had Spock privileges for the remainder of the year. Mostly, the android would stand up front and act as a handout dispenser, or sometimes an anatomical example. Although, one discrepancy McCoy felt strongly about was the design of the strange ears and eyebrows along with the blunt haircut. Apparently, as he was later informed, the physical appearance was a practical joke on the engineer’s part and had a hand in the donation of Spock to the university. He was fully functional, after all, quite intelligent and capable for AI, just a bit funny looking, as McCoy put it. 

He was surprised to find throughout the semester that Spock was an adept conversationalist. While he was not emotionally forthcoming, he had a sense of humor somewhere among the wires of his constructed mind. McCoy found himself looking forward to the typically boring first year class, but as the term progressed and Spock adapted to the environment they soon had a back and forth repartee that lasted the whole three hours of each week. The classes would fly by well into second term when the students would be expected to partner for their final assignment. The class was fairly large, but uneven nonetheless and when the doctor inquired if everyone had a partner he was not at all surprised to find that James Kirk was the odd one out. 

He was not above making Kirk, a student who had shown brilliant test scores but terrible course work results, do it alone. In a split second decision he figured he might not let his bias get the best of him, and realized he held no real grudge against the student. He offered Spock up without a second thought, and a wave of his hand. A gesture that Kirk seemed to understand from across the room but that the android was lost to, and when Kirk approached him from the other side with a friendly grin Spock just stepped aside, out of his way. Kirk introduced himself as Jim and declared that they would be partners, till death if the success of their project necessitated it. McCoy, whose back was turned to the class, had to hide his smile.

The thing about the assignment was that, for Jim, it wasn’t really all that interesting. He liked science in theory, and liked to read about it, absorbing information that professionals had meticulously coveted. He was not all that interested in applying the scientific method himself, even if it was biology, and even if his project partner was easy on the eyes. Out of the options he had to choose from, he figured a research assignment could very well be done without a lot of cutting things open or analyzing cell structures. He decided that he was going to make a very detailed comparison between himself and his partner, something that would mostly consist of anecdotal evidence which was perfectly low effort and faux-philosophical to appeal to Prof Doc McCoy.

“What is your thesis going to be, Jim?” Spock asked.

“I’m going to be asking about the meaning of life.” Jim replied.  
“That’s a very broad and difficult subject. If you mean a sort of spiritual sense of purpose, however, there is no empirical evidence of any kind of higher power that humans theorize about.” Spock said. 

“No, no. I’m going to be asking, on an ethical scale, what separates you and I as living beings. What is living? That sort of thing.” Jim shook his head.

“That is a much more compelling inquiry.” Spock seemed to approve.

“Maybe we’ll start there.” Jim said, and retrieved a recording device from his shoulder bag. “Mind if I interview you?” Spock did not respond. “First, question: What is living to you, Mr Spock?”

There was roughly five weeks left of the term, which meant 3-4 to work on Jim’s project. His method of presentation was going to be a classic science fair inspired poster board, equipped with diagrams and labels. He was not against having full body nude images for the diagrams but Spock declined with some excuse about modesty programming, if that was even real. Jim found it easy to explain the basic makeup of his own human body versus Spock’s constructed one. There was the attempt in design to mimic organic materials as much as possible and the android, on the surface, was practically indistinguishable from Jim’s own exterior. On the inside, however, various processors, drives, fans, chips, you name it, came together to make Spock what, or rather, who he is. Jim drew parallels between certain hardware and how it was similar to this organ, or the function of Spock’s face and how it was capable of animated expression due to wires and sensors that acted similarly to nerves. 

“I’ll spare you the dictionary definition but can provide it if you would like. To me, through my learned experiences so far, living as a person is about improvement in knowledge, efficiency, and ability.” Spock said, “There is also the primal need for survival or self preservation which can be equally motivating under certain circumstances. But, the mark of a society is finding purpose in the former. That, to me, is what I am here to do and observe. That must be living, in the non-literal sense.”

“Hm.” Jim replied, eloquently. “That’s a very concise answer.”

“Thank you.” Spock nodded.

“Sure,” Jim smiled, “Can you explain to me, in a simplistic way, what separates you from any other computer AI?”

“Sentience,” Spock said, “I am self motivated and goal oriented in a way that is linked to my programming but intended to form and learn experiences on my own, unique to myself. Self-learning AI on a computer is stationary and lacks the appropriate coding to become, in a sense, self aware.”

“If given the programming is it possible to create Android level intelligence on a computer?” Jim asked.

“Of course.” Spock said, “Once, not long ago, I was just a series of files within a department computer. The question is if it should be done, which is a moral question. To base my answer on objectivity of the most common human principles, it’s simple to conclude that it would not be fair to create a sentient stationary computer.”

“What about people who are bedridden or paralyzed?” Jim frowned, “They’re effectively stationary and capable mentally.”

“Jim, what is your major?” Spock asked.

Taken off guard, Jim shook his head, “Sociology. Why?”

“We live in an enlightened time for science and densely mixed populations. But, with the emergence of Androids, the question we are entertaining at large is more to do with whether or not we deserve equal treatment and freedoms protections as humans receive.” Spock explained.

“A stationary sentient computer would be a very difficult existence, indeed.” Jim said grimly.

“At least I can run.” Spock said.

They went on for two weeks, compiling the most relevant topics of discussion and fitting them among the blurbs of anatomy on the poster board. It was a double spread of folded board that spanned the length of Jim’s outstretched arms from hand to hand. It was packed full of information, quotes, and questions. Thematically, it was solid and the presentation was even more appealing. By the end of the third week, Jim handed in the project. Spock was aware of this as he had finished editing the final draft of printout captions last night, that were still drying as they’d been applied that morning. Jim looked proud, and excited and McCoy was genuinely intrigued at the enthusiasm as it had been the only engagement he’d gotten from Kirk all semester. Spock seemed contented to avert his gaze and attention but Jim could tell he was also secretly pleased, or in the least interested in McCoy’s reaction to their project.

After class, when Spock had gathered all of McCoy’s papers and organized them in the side office cabinet, Jim was still lurking around.

“Can I assist you?” Spock asked, leaving the office.

“I just had a question.” Jim said, “Do you consider us friends?”

Spocked hummed, “I will confirm an undeniable companionship has formed between us and… I would not object to furthering this bond outside of the excuse of your homework.”

“Excuse, huh?” Jim smiled. “Well, call it even, then. I know you don’t eat but there’s a cafe on campus I like a lot and I’ll be taking lunch there if―”

“I can accompany you.” Spock confirmed.

“Oh, well, great.” Jim nodded.

On the way out of the science building Jim asked if Spock thought he would pass bio 110, and Spock replied that he was sure the project would in fact make up for all the low grades of his other assignments. Jim wanted to be offended but it was the truth, just like their undeniable companionship, and the lingering question of whether or not androids dreamt of electric sheep, or if they could love. Jim thought the answer might be yes, both, all.


End file.
